Recovery
by WhiteHawkHarringrove
Summary: Sequel to 'The Accident'. A Harringrove fanfiction. Steve is on the road to recovery with some speed bumps ahead. Secrets are uncovered and healing begins for both Steve and Billy.
1. Chapter 1

Sequel to 'The Accident' If you haven't read that then this will not make much sense.

Potential trigger warning for child abuse

I own nothing but the plot

* * *

Steve lay on his couch, Billy was in the kitchen making him some soup. He hadn't been able to keep down anything solid since he left the hospital, but the doctor's said that was normal because of his concussion. The long term effects were not known right now.

Billy walked into the living room, trying to balance the soup and his own sandwich on one arm while also carrying a pill bottle in his mouth and a glass of water in his other hand. He finally made it to the couch and Steve slowly sat up to make room for his boyfriend while said man put the food on the coffee table. He kept one hand on his side the entire way up.

"You okay?" Billy asked once he took the pill bottle out of his mouth. He pushed the cap down and twisted with no success with getting it open.

"I'm fine, Bee."Steve held his hand out and Billy placed the bottle of painkillers in his hand. The top came off with a pop in a few seconds and Steve looked up at Billy with a smirk.

"I loosened it up for you," Billy told him, avoiding a hit to his pride.

"I've been doing this a long time, no need to get all defensive," Steve told him, popping a pill in his mouth. Billy quirked an eyebrow in confusion but said nothing. They ate in semi awkward silence. When Steve finished, he put his bowl on the table and laid down putting his head on Billy's lap while he took the last bite of his sandwich. The older boy put his plate on the side table and started running his hand through Steve's fluffy hair.

"Stevie, we need to talk," Billy told the other softly. Said boy tensed slightly and looked up at his boyfriend's face.

"About what? You aren't breaking up with me are you?" Steve asked, his heard filled with dread.

"No, of course not, babe. I came close to losing you once and it's not going to happen again," Billy told him, leaning down and pressing his lips against Steve's.

"Then what's wrong, Bee?" He asked, his body relaxing.

"We need to talk about how you got those scars," Billy said softly, his voice hitching with fear that Steve would shut down.

"What about them?" Steve asked calmly, he didn't want to hide anymore.

"Who did that to you?" He was asked, a kiss was planted on his temple. Steve opened his mouth but shut it quickly when he heard a car door slam. He stood up abruptly.

"Damn! Not now! Why now?" Steve exclaimed, taking a startled Billy's hand and leading him to the kitchen.

"What's wrong babe?" Billy asked, Steve shoved him in the pantry.

"My dad's back early," Steve told him grimly, shutting the pantry door in his face. Steve limped quickly into the living room, careful not to hurt his head or anything else. He leaned over, grimacing in pain as he quickly collected the dishes and brought them to the kitchen. Meanwhile, in the pantry, Billy found a walkie talkie.

"Weird place for a radio," He whispered. He turned the dial to the station he knew the kids would be on and waited just in case.

Steve quickly loaded the dishwasher and started it up as the painkillers started to kick in. He sighed in slight relief as the pain ebbed away.

"Just stay in there until I come get you, no matter what happens, stay in there okay?" Steve asked, he heard Billy try to reason with him from behind the door. "Promise me Bee!"

" Okay, I promise," Billy sighed. Steve walked back into the living room for the third time and sat on the couch as gently as possible as not to aggravate his injuries. Just as he got settled the front door opened and his father walked in.

"Nice to see you didn't trash the place," His father snapped at Steve who flinched and turned around.

"It's good to see you too, dad, did you enjoy the trip?" He asked, trying to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. John Harrington took a few large steps and ended up in front of the kid.

"Stop running your mouth boy!" He growled, latching his fist around Steve's throat suddenly and his mouth started to move like a fish out of water as he struggled to breathe. He saw stars as his father's fist connected with his face. He let go and Steve took a heaving breath, trying to get air back into his lungs.

"I wasn't... running... my mouth," he gasped. His father, who was walking away, turned back, his face contorted in rage.

"What did you say to me you little whore?" his father growled dangerously. Steve looked up at him, still gasping precious air into his lungs. John Harrington marched over and grabbed his son by the collar of his shirt, punches started raining down on the already injured teen. In the pantry, Billy heard the commotion and already radioed the kids to get Hopper.

It was when he heard the sound of punches that he finally stepped out of the pantry against Steve's wishes. He walked straight into the living room.

"Get your hands off of him," Billy growled, approaching the older man. The man turned around with a snarl.

"So.. you're the person my boy's been screwing while I was gone," he chuckled darkly.

"Billy Hargrove, nice to meet ya!" Billy shouted and decked Steve's father. His boyfriend's father was weak, he was out with that single punch. Paying no attention at the man hit the floor, he ran over to his boyfriend who was unconscious.

"Not again, come on Harrington!" He shouted and Steve's eyes opened. Steve reached up and patted Billy's arm.

"Don't worry, it's a little trick I learned when I was a kid. When I'm unconscious, he doesn't beat me. He did get in some pretty good hits though," Steve told his concerned boyfriend. Billy carefully adjusted the younger boy so his head was on his lap.

"You need to stop scaring me like that, I don't know how much more of this my heart can take. Besides, your face is all ugly and scarred now," Billy joked, Steve started laughing which quickly turned to coughing. He tucked his knees up in pain.

"You're one to talk,"Steve joked back, eyes closed."Help?"

"Yeah, Hopper is on his way, hopefully with an ambulance." Billy told Steve and he nodded.

"Good, now shut up and kiss me."

"What?" A confused Billy asked. Steve smirked evilly.

"You heard-" He was cut off by Billy's lips crashing against his.

"Now that's more like it."

* * *

Poor Steve can't catch a break can he? Stay tuned for more


	2. Chapter 2

I own nothing, yada yada yada.

This chapter is mostly a flashback.

Enjoy!

* * *

They sat on the floor, trying not to jostle Steve around too much.

"So I guess that answers my question as to how you got those scars," Billy told him grimly. Steve nodded slightly, grimacing at the shooting pain in his head despite the painkillers. Billy laid another kiss on his forehead and continued to cradle the younger boy in his lap.

They heard the sirens in the distance and Billy sighed in relief. Steve took out a cigarette from his pocket and placed it between his lips, reaching in again to grab a lighter. He quickly lit the smoke and took a drag, handing it to Billy in silence. Said boy copied the younger's motions with steady hands.

"I love you, Bee, you know that?" Steve told his boyfriend, his voice filled with love. A hint of a smile appeared on Billy's face as he once again ran his finger's through Steve's mane.

"I love you too," Billy whispered back, meaning every single word. A minute later, Hopper kicked the door in, causing both teens to flinch out of habit. The police chief sighed in relief when he saw both of them alive and directed the medics in.

"You kids are going to be the death of me," Hopper told them but they all knew he didn't really mean it. Steve grinned at Hopper as he was loaded into the ambulance with Billy by his side. He thought back to when they first started to get to know each other after the big fight.

* * *

Steve was walking down the street, his car had broken down a few days ago and it was currently getting fixed so he had to walk everywhere. He cursed under his breath as snow started falling from the sky. He sniffed as his reddened nose ran and continued to trudge through the record breaking cold weather. He was very under dressed for the 3.2 degree weather(-16 Celsius).

Steve spun around as he saw a single car driving down the road. He shuddered as he saw the model of the car and instantly knew who was driving said vehicle. He turned back around and kept walking, trying to ignore the car but it pulled up beside him.

"Are you crazy, Harrington? Nobody in their right mind would go out in this weather, you'll freeze to death!" Billy shouted at him. Steve stopped in his tracks and turned towards the car.

"C-Careful th're B-Bee, for a s-s'c'nd th-th're you almost s-sounded w'rried," Steve told him through chattering teeth. Billy raised an eyebrow, masking his concern, Steve couldn't even pronounce his name right..

"I'm not worried, I just don't want you to die from the cold because it will be on my conscience for years," Billy lied, "do you need a ride?"

"'m f'ne," Steve slurred. Billy parked his car and got out, approaching Steve. Billy was getting worried, Steve was showing signs of hypothermia

"Just get in the car, Harrington," Billy ordered, putting a surprisingly gentle hand on a shivering shoulder. Steve gave him a strange look as he was guided into the passenger seat. Billy popped the trunk and went around the back of the car, pulling something out and closing it back up. A few seconds later he was back in the driver's seat, handing Steve a thick blanket which he wrapped around his shoulders.

"Why," Steve asked, Billy ignored him and started to drive. Steve's shivering continued, even in the warmth of Billy's car.

"So, why were you out walking in this freezing weather and not at home or something?" He was asked. Steve let out a small chuckle.

"I accidentally locked my keys in my house," he lied easily. In reality, he had gotten in a fight with his dad and his father locked him out. He remembered that the fight had started when his father blamed him for the suicide of his mother yet again. He shook the memory from his mind and shifted back to the present.

"Do you have anywhere else to go?" Billy asked but Steve shook his head," Max is snowed in at the Wheeler kid's house and my dad is out of town. Just this once we can go to my place."

Steve nodded slightly, shocked by the offer.

"Hey, look, I'm sorry about what happened the other week, I was just trying to protect Max because who knows what my father would have done if he caught her with Sinclair," Billy apologized, Steve nodded sluggishly with closed eyes,"woah, Harrington! You can't fall asleep on me!"

Billy started to panic and pulled the car over, putting it into park. No one else was on the streets in this weather, and it was still a good few miles back to his house.

"Why today," Billy grumbled as he opened the car door, folded the seat forward and climbed into the back, closing the door and dragging the now unconscious boy right behind him. He started to take his shirt off along with Steve's, pressing the younger teen against himself in an attempt to warm him up. He pulled the blanket over them.

"If you say a word of this to anyone I'll kill you," Billy muttered upon deaf ears. He was shocked at his own protectiveness over the other. After Steve was warmed up and conscious after a trip to the hospital, they started a relationship.

* * *

"Hey, Stevie, you still with me?" Billy asked, Steve smiled up at him from on the stretcher.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Bee," Steve answered, remembering once again how he got the nickname. A crazy thought came to his mind, it could have been the morphine he was hooked up to but he thought it was fantastic.

"That's never a good look... what are you planning?" Billy asked, chuckling.

"Will you marry me?" Steve asked. Billy sat there, stunned but quickly recovered.

"Why don't you heal up and ask me again when you're not high on pain meds and can at least get on one knee," Billy told him, kissing his forehead gently.

"Fine." Steve huffed.

* * *

Did you like the special surprise ending of this chapter?

By the way, I live in Canada so I don't know how cold cold is for Americans so I dropped the temperature.

Stay tuned for more!


	3. Chapter 3

I'm back! Sorry it took so long, my mind was all over the place.

Anyway... Enjoy!

* * *

They arrived at the hospital a few minutes later and a delirious Steve was unloaded from the back of the ambulance. Billy tried to stay with his boyfriend but was forcefully separated when the nurses stopped him at the emergency room entrance.

Billy was sick of hospitals. In three weeks he had gone twice for potentially life threatening situations. He would be happy if they never had to go to a hospital again. He sat in the hard plastic chairs again, waiting an hour before people he knew started to flood in. Max and Dustin gave Billy a look when they walked in together.

"What happened to Steve this time, did you accidentally smother your boyfriend when he was snoring too loud?" Max joked.

"Seriously, what happened? Hopper just told us to come to the hospital with no explanation." Dustin asked him, ignoring Max.

"Steve's dad beat him up pretty bad," Billy choked out. Max immediately felt guilty and went to sit by her stepbrother. Over the next few hours, people joined them, starting with Mrs. Byers and Will and ending with Mike who was driven by Nancy. They sat almost completely in silence, only a few words were uttered among the kids.

"What happened, Billy?" Joyce Byers asked him softly, moving and sitting next to him. Billy sighed.

"His dad happened, almost took Steve from me a second time," Billy whispered like a little kid. He only felt this lost without Steve by his side. Mrs. Byers put an arm around Billy's shoulders and he leaned into her side, accepting the act of motherly love. She just stayed silent and held him as he let out silent tears. The kids didn't notice, they were starting to fall asleep.

It was nearing 1am when a familiar, tired doctor walked in with a small smile on his face, though not covered in blood as Billy feared he would be like last time. Said teen stood up and approached the doctor with Mrs. Byers by his side.

"Mr. Hargrove, we meet again," the doctor stated. Billy looked at the doctor.

"How is he?" He asked impatiently, the doctor smiled at the young man's concern.

"He's asleep now but he's fine; we took him into surgery to repair his collarbone, it was starting to heal but with what happened, it was re-broken. His ribs were bruised, though luckily on the other side, and his broken ribs were unharmed," the doctor told the teen and the woman. Billy sighed in relief and went to hug Joyce, the surprised woman hugged him back.

"When can we see him?" Mrs. Byers asked. Billy's head snapped up to see the doctor's response.

"I can take you back right now, we've just settled him into a room." Billy nodded eagerly and turned to the woman he was still hugging.

"Go see him, I'll take care of the kids," She told him, he uttered a silent 'thank you' and followed the doctor back to see his boyfriend... fiance? He didn't know anymore. Did a drugged up proposal count?

He was led into a different area of the hospital than last time, this area had much less chaos. He spotted Steve in a bed, eyes open and very confused. Billy made his way over to the other teen, and sat on the side of his bed.

"Hey, Steve, you're up earlier than expected," Billy told him, Steve chuckled.

"Hey, Bee... how do I look?" He asked with a cheeky grin. Billy let out a small chuckle.

"Like you got hit by a truck then beat up," Billy answered, making Steve laugh loudly then clutch his ribs in pain.

"How convenient because that's exactly what happened," Steve chuckled.

"I'm going to find the doctor and ask when you are good to leave, yeah?" Billy inquired, Steve nodded slightly, being careful for his head. Steve sat there, thinking. He hoped he hadn't said anything weird when he was on the pain meds, they were like a truth serum for him.

* * *

How did you like it? Let me know what you would like to see in upcoming chapters!


	4. Chapter 4

I'm Back! Sorry I haven't written for a while but for now I'm here.

* * *

Billy was back at Steve's side a few minutes later, getting Steve ready to leave. They walked out together, Steve's arm around Billy's shoulders. When they entered the waiting area, the kids were still asleep and Joyce was watching the kids. Said woman stood up when she saw them, it set off a chain reaction of waking children.

As the kids woke up, they jumped upright and went to embrace their beloved babysitter. Steve let them and hugged the kids back. When they let go, Billy handed Steve his crutches, he slid them under his armpits and the lot of them exited the hospital, saying goodbye and getting into separate vehicles. The kids wished Steve to feel better and left, all except Max. The injured teen gently got into the passenger seat of his boyfriend's car with said boyfriend's help. Max was dropped off at home.

They went to Steve's house as it started pouring rain. As soon as they pulled into the driveway, they saw cop cars everywhere. Billy got out, motioning for Steve to stay in the vehicle. He approached the yellow tape with Hopper standing on the other side.

"Hargrove," Hopper greeted," How's the kid?"

"He's fine, he's waiting in the car," Billy answered. Hopper nodded, then had an intense look on his face as he thought to himself.

"Meet me at the diner in 20 minutes, I need to talk with both of you." Hopper ordered, Billy nodded and headed back to the car in silence. He got into the vehicle and looked in the passenger seat to see Steve's head propped against the window, he turned his head when Billy got in.

"We're meeting Hopper at the diner in 20," Billy told the other boy.

"m'kay," Steve said drowsily.

20 minutes later they were waiting for Hopper in the diner, Steve's head was laying drowsily on Billy's shoulder while Billy was eating some fries he had ordered. His head snapped up and towards the door when he heard the jingle of the bell. Hopper walked in, shoulders hunched over and he was soaked. He looked around, made eye contact with Billy, and made his way over to the booth and sat across from them.

"I have good news." Hopper told them, it didn't seem like it because Hopper's face remained grim.

"Well?" Steve was immediately more awake.

"John Harrington was arrested for attempted first degree murder and extensive child abuse. He'll be put away for a good long time," Hopper told them with a small smile. Billy could feel Steve let out a sigh of relief. He was finally free from his father.

"So what now?" Billy asked. Hopper looked down at the table.

"We need both of your statements and possibly an appearance in his trial." There was the bad news they were waiting for. Steve was free but he had to relive the nightmares one last time.

* * *

Stay tuned for more!

I will also be starting a story of Steve one-shots with comforting Billy very soon


End file.
